Reckoning
by Hurrah
Summary: One of the hardest things to do in life is letting someone go. It can be even harder to let someone in. Future AU.
1. Blue moon

_Dsiclaimer-- I never have or will ever own any of these people._

The downstairs office was usually buzzing with phone calls, clients coming int to voice their complaints or praises on work that was done.

Tuesdays were the worst. Sarah would give up and put everyone on hold and hidt under the desk and smoke. She would of course have three fans and incense going. She quit two years ago and she was sticking to it.

Eddie and Harry caught her once and since then they were sure to avoid her. You never threaten an ex art dealer. Ever. They usually stayed in the basement practicing Latin or weapons training.

Sam stayed holed up in his office. He hasn't spoke to anyone for a few days. He's not sure why yet. He never sees his father anymore. He's living it up in Canada. He's done hunting.

The buzz from his vibrating cell phone breaks Sam of concentration. He should never have given Mrs Wilkins his private number. With a sigh of defeat he reaches for the phone.

"Hello?" His tone is that of an over worked under paid employee. Hardly the correct tone for the almost millionaire

"Mrs. Wilkins I appreciate you as a client. We all do but your house is not haunted. You have termites." Sam lowered his head in his hands and waited for the response he knew was coming.

"I'll send Harry again." He hangs up and lays his head on his desk.

Ace has never been away from his father side in all his ten years of life. When he was needed he was there. Ace was underappreciated and felt like he was neglected from the attention of his parents that he felt he rightly deserved.

So he did what any kid his age would. He ran way.

He missed his two sisters dearly but he knew he had to leave. He was a kid too.

Ace clutched the white paper in his hand and breathed deeply. He raised his hand to knock on the door . .

Eddie swung the door open harshly and ran smack into the poor kid. They both rolled down the small steps and landed on the hard cement walkway.

"Hey kid, watch where you're going!" Eddie dusted himself off. Ace remained unscathed and stayed on the ground where he was currently laying.

When Eddie was out of sight Ace stood up, entered the house/office and shut the door.

"Excuse me, does a Samuel Winchester work or live here?"

A soft childlike voice interrupted Sarah from her thoughts and work. A young boy about the age of ten with brown ruffled hair stood uncomfortably in front of her desk.

"Yes we do have a Sam Winchester. May I ask what it is you need? Haunting? Possession?"

"Um no. I'm his nephew."

----

The short meeting in Sam's office wasn't going as he had anticipated. Eddie ran out screaming. Harry's head is about to explode. Sam counted the minutes until he would see steam coming out his ears.

" But I was just there! You told me it wasn't–I proved it wasn't-"

"I know Harry. Just humor me okay? She's our biggest client and we would have failed without her."

Sarah opened the door and entered with boy he'd never seen before.

"Uh Sam can we talk?"

"Not now. Harry it's simple. Just walk around and-"

"Sam it's little important-"

"In a minute Sar. Just walk around and you remember the chant in Latin right?"

"Yeah I think. Oh god! I forgot the salt!" Harry spins around and leaves.

"Sam-"

"Look can I just have a minute alone? Please?"

"Sam this is Ace. You're nephew."

Ace waved his hand. Sam takes another look at the boy claiming to be his nephew and studies his features. His face, eyes, nose, mannerisms.

He faints.

----

"Sam?"

The voices seem farther away and distorted. His vision is blurry and he has a bad case of double vision.

"Sam snap out of it!"

There was a sharp tingly sensation felt on his cheek. Thst cleared things up for him fast. Sam shook his head left to right and everything went back into focus.

"Was that necessary?"

Sam finds himself now on the couch. Sarah was in front of him and the boy claiming to be his relative stood back near the door.

"Yes. Sam, your nephew?" Ace waves again.

"Ace you can come closer. Sam won't hurt you." Sarah motioned with her hand for the kid to move towards them.

Ace slowly came closer slowly.

"Is your father here too?" Sam asked without looking at the boy.

"N-no. He doesn't know i'm here."

"Right. How did you get here?"

"I walked."

"The entire way?"

Ace shifted uncomfortably before answring.

"Yeah. I like walking."

"So where did you walk from?" Sam began rubbing his temples.

"Um. California." Ace lowered his head.

'We're in New Mexico. You walked that?"

"I really like walking."

They said nothing after that. Sam stood up finally, shook his head and walked off. Before he got to far he turned back to Ace.

"You like walking so much you can walk back. My brother's been dead for years."

"Sam-"

"I'm going out for lunch." And just like that he was gone. Sarah and Ace stood in awkward silence for a few moments.

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Yeah. Thanks Miss?"

"Ooh. Just call me Sarah. Aunt Sarah. I'm his wife. Sam's wife. I'm an aunt heh." Sarah led her supposedly nephew to the kitchen.

----

Sam found his way to the cafe he used to always take Sarah. The first few years of their marriage were great but somehow he lost interest and everything went downhill. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He should be happy. Dean is gone but everything is okay.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Sam looked up and smiled. Marie was his unofficial-official waitress. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a messy bun. Her white top was dirty and the black pants were covered in flour.

"What happened to you?"

"What? You mean this?" She gestured to her outfit. Sam nodded

"Ah. Well there was a fire in the kitchen and instead of water they used flour. It's all over my clothes. Believe me this is the clean compared to what I was."

"Sound like someone had an interesting day."

Marie laughed.

"Yeah well when you have flour in your ears; not fun. What about you? You look like someone killed your puppy. I haven't seen you this depressed since . .well the first time I met you."

Sam looked away and began to play with the ice in his water.

"Yeah. It's nothing."

"Nothing my ass. Last time you said "it's nothing" that nothing turned into a dead brother."

"Marie I appreciate that you care but this isn't your business. I'll have a BLT. That's more your business." He handed her his menu.

Dejected. she took it and left.

After a quick lunch Sam made his way back the home office. He found Sarah and Ace in the kitchen covered in battered playing with wooden spoons.

They carried on until Sam cleared his throat.

"Sam! I-we didn't hear you come in. How was lunch?"

"Fine. I see you two are having fun." Sarah's cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"Ace did you call your parents?"

"Sam about Ace. Can we talk?" Sam nodded and Sarah smiled and reassured the kid that everything was ok.

The two adults left to talk outside on the porch.

"Do we have to send him back to them?"

"Sarah he's not ours. He has parents."

"Children in happy environments do not generally run away."

"Sarah's he's not ours. We don't have kids. We could-"

"So what? We could do fine. I love kids! Ace is a sweet kid. He deserves to be happy."

"He's not my nephew."

"Your brother's body was never found. He could be alive. Ace looks just like him."

Sam shook his head laughing.

"You two weren't exactly close."

"We weren't not close either. That's besides the point. I know his face."

"This is a kid we're talking about .A human being. He's a huge respnsabilty."

"I know that. I'm not stupid Sam."

"Sarah-"

"If we send him back he'll just run away again."

"How do you know?"

"He told me!" Sarah turned away from her husband and crossed her arms.

Sam reached over to touch her shoulder but she brushed him off and sat down on the steps. He sat down next to her.

"You really like him huh?" Sarah nodded.

"Yeah. I do." She said quietly

"How about this. He call social services and see what happens."

"Sam."

"And if everything works out maybe he could stay with us."

"You mean it?"

"Yeah."

Sarah hugged him thus knocking them over.

Instead of regretting his decision Sam was actually started to feel . .content. He welcomed and tried to push that feeling away.


	2. Home on the range

_AN: I forgot to mention in the last chaper that this is about 10 years into the furtrue. So yeah.._

It has only been a few days since Ace has entered Sam and Sarah's life. Things couldn't get any weirder or more comfortable. Their business was doing great and the marriage was smooth as ever.

Eddie and Harry watched over Ace for them and became surrogate uncles to the boy. There was one member of the house, however that still was not warm to Ace.

Sarah's golden, Charlie.

Ace baked up against the wall as the growing dog inched closer. Charlie was showing his teeth and drool is dripping from his mouth. Someone not familiar with the dog would think he was mad with rabies.

"Charlie! Bad dog!" Sarah run up behind the dog and dragged him away form the scared ten year-old. Ace slowly slumped down to the floor, exhaling loudly.

"I am so sorry sweetie. He's usually not like this." Sarah pulled the still growling dog away to the other room.

--

On the other side of town Sam and Harry are investigating a house that was being allegedly haunted by the previous owner.

The current owner is a single mother in her mid 30's. Brown short hair. Her daughter was latched on to her side.

"Well small things happened at first but still unusual. The lights would go on and off and I heard scratches. I thought.that we had rats but rats don't drag you across the room. I saw your ad in the newspaper. Do you think you can help?"

Harry looked to Sam who nodded.

"We'll take a look around." Harry opened his silver briefcase and pulled out some electric equipment.

"Why don't you take your daughter out to the movies or something? We should be done by the time you get back." Sam smiled reassuringly.

"Okay we will. Thank you."

Sam walked them to the door and gently closed it behind them.

"Have you ever dealt with this kind of thing Sam?"

"Yeah. Last time it was a pissed off poltergeist. We uh, had to put bags of . .what was it again," Sam snaps his fingers, " well anyway just use the-"

"S-sam. I think I found our problem."

A woman in a red dress stood at top of the stairs. Her body is transparent. Her skin is blueish grey. Her red dress is torn in several places.

"I think you're right."

----------

"Sarah do I have to?" Ace whined as Sarah dragged him into the building.

"Ace you're ten years-old. You have to go to school." Ace continued to protest.

The two finally made it to the principal's office and began to register Ace into school.

"All right. Lets's see. You're name is Ace Winchester and this is your aunt correct?"

Ace frowned and ignored the man. Sarah elbowed him and answered for him.

"Yes that is correct Mr. William. I want to thank you for seeing us on such short notice."

"Ah its no trouble. We at Sierra Vista believe that children need the best education. We have no problem with enrolling your nephew."

"Thank you." Sarah smiled. Ace groaned. A woman in her 40s entered the room and handed Mr William a piece of paper only to leave quickly as she came.

"Ah here we are. Here is your class schedule. You start immediately." Ace's eyes winded.

"Really? We're done here? Great. Ace I'll pick you up at three okay sweetie?" Sarah stood up and reached over to shake Mr. William's hand.

"Have great day Mrs. Winchester, Ace."

Sarah lead her nephew out.

"Sarah please you can't make me go. This is unfair."

"Ace calm down. Every kid has to go to school. Didn't you go when you were with your parents?"

"No!" Ace turned away from her. Students who were in the hall stopped and watched Ace and his aunt.

"Well that was wrong. You have to go."

"Sarah-" Sarah kissed his cheeked and pushed him down the hall.

"I'll see you soon!"

---------

Sam and Harry were pinned against opposite sides of a wall. The woman in red began screaming like a banshee. The lights blew out and strong gusts of supernatural wind is blowing. Pictures, glass and other objects blew and against the boys.

"Boss do you have any ideas!"

"Yeah. Duck!" A large wooden chair slammed into the side of the wall were Harry was pinned. Harry was released and fell down hard.

"Sam what do I do!" Harry began to panic. The ghostly woman started to close in on him.

"Shoot her!" Times like these Sam really missed his big brother. Harry crawled on the floor feeling for the shotgun. Harry spotted the gun under the table at the far side of the room.

"I found it!"

"Good. Now get it and shoot her!"

Harry hurried over to the table. Just as he made it to the shotgun the table was lifted in the air and slammed back down.

"Harry you okay?"

"Yeah!"

Harry fumbled with the shotgun and pointed it wildly around the room. The woman in red appeared at the door. He shot at her and missed.

"Uh. I can't do this!"

"Yes you can now focus!"

Harry breathed deeply and aimed for her again. The front door opened as the current owner and her entered. Harry shot at her in surprise, he missed.

"What is going on here? You said you'd fix it!"

"Technical difficulties ma'am now move!" Harry pushed her out of way and finally shot the ghost in the head. Sam was released and fell to the ground.

"Harry!" Sam tossed him a bag and Harry ran up stairs. There was a sharp scream and white mist exploded everywhere. After a second everything was quiet and clear.

"What just happened?" The owner asked scared and confused.

"That? That was nothing." Sam sighed.

----

Back at the school Ace was making some progress in his school work. He discovered that math was his best subject, he excelled at art and the ladies loved him. He had his first crush. Susie McQueen. Her bright copper red hair was put into two braids. She had bright smile and was very friendly to Ace.

His teacher wasn't so bad either. Ace was started to like this school business after all.

"Now I want you to pair up with someone and write a short story. You each have a picture in front of you correct? Now I want you to write about you see. You have ten minutes."

Ace sat next to Susie who smiled.

"Okay here's ours Ace." The picture they had showed a boy sitting down on a stoop. He had his hand under his chin. He appeared to be in deep thought.

"This is going to be hard." Susie whispered.

"Not really. His mother died." Susie blinked.

"What?"

"His mother died. That's why he is upset. Actually if my mother died I think I'd throw a party." Ace laughed.

Susie shrugged her shoulders and wrote down a several sentences.

"Why would you throw a party?"

"I hate my mother. I like my dad though. Just hate her."

"I love both my parents."

"Lucky."

After about ten minutes the project was over and students read aloud to class what they wrote. Ace volunteered his and Susie's story.

" This is Mark. Mark's mom died in a horrible fire. They are not exactly sure what caused it though. They found her body on the ceiling of his baby brothers room. Mark hasn't been the same since and stopped playing all the sports he used to play." Ace stepped back and let Susie finish the story.

"So one day Mark sat down on the steps outside of his house and began to think about things. His dad asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. He didn't know before but he does now. A firefighter." Susie and Mark bowed and took their seats.

The teacher and the other students sat in stunned silence.

"Th-that was uh, interesting. Who wants to go next?"

The rest of the class was uneventful. The school let out around three and Ace waited for his aunt to pick him up. Several students ran by to their respectable buses and various destinations.

"Hey."

Ace turned and smiled at the owner of the soft feminine voice. Susie and her friend Bethany stood behind him.

"Hey Sue." Ace is the only one who calls her Sue. She likes it.

"What bus do you ride?" Bethany asked uncaring..

"I don't. My aunt is picking me up." Susie noddded.

"Oh. Why aren't your parents?"

"I don't live with my parents."

"Why not?" Bethany asked now interested in the boy.

"Because." Ace was starting not to like Bethany.

"What? Did they ditch you or something?" Bethany pressed.

"Beth." Susie warned quietly.

Saved by the horn. Sarah pulled up in her black civic. Ace said his goodbyes and ran to the car.

"So how was your first day of school?" Ace wordlessly handed her a note from his teacher.

"What's this?"

"Read and find out."

Sarah carefully opened the paper and watched the road. She glanced back and fourth.

"What the? She wants a meeting with me and Sam?" Ace lowered himself in his seat.

At a stoplight Sarah tuned to her nephew.

"Did something happen in class?"

"She thinks I'm disturbed." Ace avoided eye contact and looked out the window.

"Why would she think that?"

"Because I know."

"Know what?"

"How she died."

" How who died?"

"Grandma. We had to write a story in class. I mentioned how she died. My teacher think's I'm sick. Are you going to send me away?"

"No. Of course not. Why would you think something like that?"

"Because whenever someone says the truth about the supernatural people assume they are insane."

"Ace we are not going to send you away. You're stuck with us. Got it?"

Ace smiled and nodded. Littlie by little he was starting to feel at home.


	3. Everything Zen

The florescent lights in the office made it almost unbearable. Sam was already sweating. Every now and then he would the rub of his neck or wipe his face with his hands. Sarah just sat there trying to smile.

The chairs were high and made of a plastic leather material that squeaked loudly when either of them would change seating positions. The woman behind the desk wasn't helping much.

She was sporting an ensemble straight out of an 80's movie. She had the puffed out shoulder pads, the white puffy shirt with the nice large pendant looking button.

"So we feel that your nephew needs more . .emotional support."

Sarah and Sam looked at each other and then back to the school's guidance counselor.

"What do you mean more emotional support? Ace has plenty of emotional support." Sarah will be damned if someone tells her that she isn't supportive of her nephew. The counselor just smiled before handing her a piece of paper.

"This is Ace's last assignment. He wrote quite a disturbing story. The teacher herself was quite disturbed."

" Will you stop saying the word 'disturbed' please?" Sam now enters the conversation. He grimces ever time she uttered the aforementioned word.

"Healthy, happy children do not write like this. Do you know how his home life was before he moved in with you?"

Again, Sam and Sarah exchange glances before answering. Sam spoke first.

"Honestly? I didn't know Ace even existed until he moved in with us. My brother was- is a good man. He wouldn't hurt anyone let his own family. He was-isn't like that."

Sarah handed the story back not impressed.

"I've read worse." Sarah leans back crossing her arms and legs clearly annoyed.

"We think it would be his your nephew's best interest if he sees a professional once or twice a week. This could help him and steer him away from writing these," She shakes the paper," and writing more appropriate work."

"You think he needs a psychiatrist?"

"In my professional opinion? Yes. Yes I do. If you don't like the psychiatrist idea, Ace could meet with me instead. It won't cost you anything and he will still get help that he needs."

"I don't like this. Ace is fine." Sarah turned her head to the side avoiding eye contact with the guidance counselor.

"If you think's it's best for him he'll do it." Sarah tuned her head to look at Sam in surprise.

"I'm glad you feel that way."

"Sam."

"Sarah it's just talking. All Ace has to do is talk."

"You think he's disturbed now?"

"No. I just- we don't know anything about what him and how he lived with his parents."

Sarah turns back around facing the front and huffs. She says her goodbye and leaves the room and slams the door to the office shut.

-----------

Two years ago, somewhere in California.

The sky was black as coal and the air cold as ice. The wind gracefully moved the branches in the trees. Several locals were camping out in the woods tonight. Father's and Sons surround the campfire.

Four long logs serve as the seats. Two pairs to a seat. A men with a dark red plaid hat eyes Ace out of the corner of his eye. In turn Ace moves closer to his father.

Ace absentmindedly picks up a stuck and pokes the fire, his head rests on his arm as he leans forward. he exhales loudly hoping his father catches his boredom and takes him back home. His father ignores him. Ace leans back and exhales louder and adds a little groaning.

His father rolls his eyes.

"What?" His father asks gruffly.

"I'm bored." Ace whines. His father brings both of his hands to his face and sighs himself. He then begins to rub his temples.

" Then practice." He snaps.

Ace slumps lower in his wooden seat. he scans the crowd of campers looking for a prime target. To one of the fellow camper's he'd think that Ace was casually looking around.

"Him." Ace moves his head slightly in the direction of the man in a hat. His father hands him something. Ace puts the object up his sleeve and stands.

"Wipe off the blood this time."

-----------

Life awakens back into Ace as he jolts up sweating.

Ace wipes the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. After he came home from school he took a quick nap. His aunt and uncle were out doing whatever it is that they do. He never asked and they didn't come forward.

They never tell him what they do for a living. He knew from talking with Sarah that her father ran an auction house which she left to pursue a short lived art dealing stint. She didn't talk much about she did now though.

That dose not mean he didn't know. Of course he knew .They just didn't know about him. They were never going to find out either.

There was a brief knocking on Ace's bedroom door before it opened revealing his uncle who seemed upset about something. Sam closed the door behind him before sitting at the end of Ace's bed.

"Something wrong Unc?" Ace propped himself up to make talking easier.

Sam shook his head. He started playing with one of Ace's pillows.

"We just came back from a meeting at your school." Sam took a moment for this to digest into Ace's mind.

"Yeah?" Ace pressed, unsure where this was going.

"They think it would be good for you to see someone. Like a psychiatrist or your guidance counselor. Your aunt and I talked about it and we think it's a good idea."

Everything in Ace froze. He began to sweat and his heart started beating faster and faster.

"But we don't want to force this on you so . .what do you think?" He turned his full attention his nephew.

Ace said nothing. He just sat there lost in thought. Sam snaps his fingers to get a reaction.

"Huh? Oh um sure. Just talking right no biggie."

Sam nodds and ruffles his nephew's hair. He hasn't spent much time with Ace since he moved in but it has only been a few days.

"I'll guess I go and help Sarah with dinner." Sam starts to retreat. He closes the door behind shut.

-----

The next day was another mostly uneventful day. Ace had a schedule for seeing his guidance counslor. Monday's after school. Susie and Ace sat together in class again. Most of the kids in his classs actually were afraid of him now. A simple piece of work can have such strong effect on people.

Right now Ace was zoning in and out of his teacher's current lecture. Several other students had their heads on the desks. Susie was doodling on her notes and Bethany was glaring randomly at Ace.

"All right enough of that now I have an interesting assignment for you all." the teachers from the front of the chalkboard to her desk. She picms upa book and waves it in the air.

"This is _Hamlet_. Do any of you know anything about _Hamlet_?" She waited fro a repsone. Bethany raised her hand.

"My brother is reading it. He's in tenth grade."

"That's fascinating Beth but do you know anything about the play itself?"

"Bethany and didn't Shakesprok write it?" Ace laughs loud at this while Bethany glares in his direction.

"Any comments Mr. Winchester?"

"Yeah **_Shakespeare_** wrote it. It was about some depressed prince who kills his uncle."

"And why is that?" the teacher pressed.

"Because..I don't know. He's crazy?"

"Ah. We'll get back to that Ace. Every character in this play and in his all plays has a defining moment. In fact everyone in this room has or had a defining moment. Something that tells the world who we are and what we're about. It could be simple or something complicated. It could have come out during a tragedy such as this or something more . .lack of a better word, happy."

The teacher puts the book back down on her desk and sits on the end.

"I want you to pick a character and find theirs. I want to defend your opinions. Tell me why you chose that moment for the character. The school thinks that this is over your heads. We're going to prove them wrong."

Susie looked around the room before rasing her hand. the teacher nodding aprroval thus she spoke up.

"Can we choose more than one character?"

"No. Any more questions?"

Ace raised his hand. He too, got the approval.

"When is this due?"

"Two weeks." Several groans and complaints were heard at once.

----

Ace spun around in his desk chair several times before stopping. he picked up the text book and tossed it behind him.

"What did I tell about schoolwork?"

Ace froze up. His shoulders tensed. He slowly turned around.

"Dad?"


End file.
